Debate expectations are now on an even playing field
Why the media called it for Romney
Everyone in the country including the media believed that Romney could have looked like a babbling retard in the last debate. He was not and he shattered expectations as a result. He was a slick lying used car salesman and the media was so surprised that he remembered some lines and looked good lying his ass off that they called it for him.
The media's low expectations for Romney have been reset as a result of the first debate.
What Obama needs to do differently
Not a damn thing. He did just fine in the last debate and out of the context of historically low expectations for his opponent, he would have been declared the winner because:
1) Romney clearly lied about the Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board and everyone passively interested in civics knew it.
2) Romney was only specific about one aspect of his regressive tax plan, i.e. Big Bird, which amounts to a drop of water on a burning building (national debt).
3) Obama stated that he liked the phrase Obamacare, what I thought was a classic way to handle the attack.
4) The economy has improved substantially.
5) Romney/Ryan = Medicare vouchers.
Conclusion
The media is brainless but predictable.